Truants
by Butterfly Dancing
Summary: Adam and Grace were described as underachieving truants on the Sony website. Here's a story explaining why.


Title: Truants

Author: Elizabeth

Summary: Adam and Grace were described as underachieving truants in the Sony website. Here's why.

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I do not own JoA or any of its characters.

Grace Polk hated the look of Arcadia High before she even stepped foot into the school. It's cheery exterior as well as the colorful signs hanging on the walls were enough to make her want to hang herself.

She walked into the school, vowing not to spend all her valuable time here. Though if she wanted to fix the corrupt government, she may as well bash it all into her head as fast as she could.

Grace was the daughter of a Rabbi and she was a rebel. At 13 she had chopped her hair off and vowed to keep it that way. She didn't want to be stuck in the very definition of life people were trying to say she should live. So she went against everyone and didn't let anyone try to sway her.

In one month at her first year of Arcadia High, Grace had gotten 15 truancies. For that she had to spend a week in detention. She went into the classroom where detention was being held and took her claim at the back of the room, dropping her legs over the chair in front of her.

"Excuse me, feet down, sir." The teacher said distractedly.

Grace rolled her eyes and took a pencil from her bag and began to make scratch marks into the brown wood.

"Um…excuse me? Is this where detention is?" a timid voice asked.

Grace looked up and her eyes settled on her old friend, Adam Rove. They hadn't spoken much. His mother had died a few years ago and after that their friendship became strained. She knew Adam would most likely be going here but she never thought she'd live the day when he showed up in detention!

"Yes. Take a seat…Mr. Rove."

Adam turned and saw Grace. He smiled slightly and walked over to sit next to her.

"What are you in for?"

"Truancies. You?"

Adam shrugged. "Same."

Grace smirked. "What are you up to? Weed?"

Adam shook his head. "That's for me to know and you to find out, Grace."

"Quiet back there!"

Grace rolled her eyes and made a cuckoo sign near the side of her head. Adam snickered.

After detention, the childhood friends walked out and went outside.

"So…what have you been doing, Rove?" Grace asked as she mounted her skateboard.

"Oh the usual." Adam said. "Art. Going through life."

Grace nodded. "I have an idea."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Whenever we feel life it we just won't come to classes." Grace said with a smile. "We'll do whatever we want."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Won't your parents wig out?"

Grace frowned slightly. Apparently Adam thought things were better in her life. "Yeah right, Rove. When was the last time they noticed I had the flu? Now are you in or out?"

Adam laughed. "It's deceitful. I love it."

Grace smirked. "Good."

So for the next few months, Grace and Adam made their mark known to Arcadia High and its administration. They would come to school and do the work but when it was desired, they wouldn't come to school. Gavin Price, the vice principal, was determined to get these two to stick around but they weren't having it. Unfortunately, Adam got caught looking around for art supplies on the ground once and now Price was checking him for drugs every morning. It seriously cut into precious working time on his art. Grace would be called into the office and asked to set up a meeting with her parents and the school. Of course, Grace never gave them the message.

When it came time for scheduling, Price found that Grace and Adam had really good class scores and while they had a tendency to leave school almost every day, they did have what it took to succeed. So he called them in.

Grace and Adam sat in chairs and waited for Price to begin talking.

"Okay. I can't stop either of you from skipping school. But because you both have such high class scores, we're going to place you both in AP Chemistry."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "Huh. How do you know we'll show up?"

Price just looked over at her. "I might not know but I can only hope that one day a source of inspiration will hit you both." He glanced over at Adam to see he was spacing out. "Is he on drugs?" he looked at Grace.

Grace turned to look at Adam. "His eyes aren't dilated so no."

Price looked at her.

"I took Health. I know what to look for."

Price nodded. "Enjoy your summer, Ms. Polk, Mr. Rove."

Grace got up and shoved Adam on the shoulder to get him moving. Adam grabbed his bag and they left the school.

In September, Grace was late on the first day of school. She went into the office to get a late slip and noticed a different woman standing behind the counter. Grace looked over at Adam, who was exiting Price's office.

"Who's the brunette?" Grace asked.

"Oh uh…Mrs…. something. She just moved here with her family."

Grace rolled her eyes. "How fun." She went to get her slip.

The woman gave her a smile. "Hi. Name please?"

"Polk. Grace Polk." She answered.

The woman chuckled and wrote her name down. "And what is the reason for your tardiness?"

"I'm late." Was all Grace said.

"Oh…funny girl. Here you go. Enjoy your day."

Grace nodded. "I will Mrs…" Grace glanced down at the signature on the paper. "Girardi." Grace left the office unaware that this woman's two children would give her the craziest year of her life.


End file.
